Mumbai: The words ‘dashing’ and ‘daring’ have been used to describe women workers of the Shiv Sena in a book that has caught global attention. A recently released book The Dashing Ladies of Shiv Sena: Political Matronage in Urbanizing India by Tarini Bedi argues that the attributes of being dashing and daring make the Sena women different from other right-wing parties’ women cadre.
The book also highlights how the women are inducted into the party structure as ‘brokers’ to facilitate support in the urban spaces.
The book was published in 2016 by Aleph after Ms Bedi’s researched the topic for over 10 years, interviewing several women workers of Shiv Sena at the lower level in party’s hierarchy.
Ms Bedi is an assistant professor at Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago and had studied in Mumbai.
In her book, Ms Bedi throws light on why she chose the word ‘dashing’ to describe Sena workers, “Dashing means to do things without fear. Why should you be in fear of anyone? Dashing is to be unafraid. Daring means to do work without fear. And dashing means to show what is true, to fight untruth, but not just to fight, but to show the truth to the world. To show what is real in front of everyone…,” reads an excerpt from the book.
On the role played by the women of Shiv Sena, the author said that the urbanisation has created a need for some ‘caretaker’ or ‘broker’ to provide a support system.
“They built relationships of both fear and trust. Shiv Sena women manifest their physicality and presence as militant protesters, social workers, and negotiators, as counsellors, adjudicators, and outlaws, as political campaigners and candidates and finally, though not of lesser importance, as local caretakers of changing neighbourhoods,” the book said.
She has also mentioned case studies of a few women, their social background, their families and how the search of their own identity led them into the party structure.
The book has narrated a few incidences where the Shiv Sena women become policewomen and judges to resolve issues by taking the law into their hands.
